Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Katelli’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Katelli’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with orange ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date September 13-20; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Katelli’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flower date around September 13-20; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of chrysanthemum plant ‘Katelli’ is a seedling resulting from a crossing program, which was set up by a previous breeder, and which records are unknown to the inventor. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in 2001. The first act of asexual production of ‘Katelli’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2001 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands, and further propagated at this location. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium L. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 24 in 2004. The natural blooming date of this crop was September 13-20 (week 38). The average height of the plants was 38 cm. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with orange ray florets and a dark red center blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing comparison to ‘Katelli’ is ‘Mars’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,678). When ‘Mars’ and ‘Katelli’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: The differences of ‘Mars’ and ‘Katelli’ are (1) Color ray-florets. The ray-florets of ‘Katelli’ are more tending towards bronze than of ‘Mars’. (2) Natural response time. Under natural conditions, ‘Katelli’ flowers earlier than ‘Mars’.

The following is a description of the plant and charcteristics that distinguish ‘Katelli’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant ‘KATELLI’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.5 cm, height 0.8 cm Outside Color Yellow-green 145D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts among Not present disc-florets Involucral bracts color Green 138B Bloom Type Decorative Height 1 cm Size Medium Fully Expanded 4.5 cm Peduncle length 6 cm Peduncle color Green 143C Number of blooms per branch Approx. 10 blooms per branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Greyed-red 178A Mature Greyed-orange 173C Color of upper surface of the ray- Greyed-orange 163A to florets Greyed-yellow 162A Color of the lower surface of the Greyed-orange 167A ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with orange flowers and a dark red disc Discoloration to color Greyed-orange 163A to Greyed-yellow 162A Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 240-250 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majority Straight Length of corolla tube 0.8 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2 cm Ray-floret width 0.5 cm Ratio length/width High Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Absent Receptacle shape Conical raised Reproductive Organs Stamen Absent Pollen Not produced Styles Thick Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 4 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type potmum, outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate High Height 38 cm Width 40 cm Stem Color Greyed-brown 199C Stem Strength Medium Stem Brittleness Not brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Absent Internode length 1.5-2 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 18 cm Lateral branch color Yellow-green 148B Lateral branch, attachment Medium Branching (average number of Good with 7-8 breaks lateral branches) after pinching Natural season blooming date September 13-20 Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 137A Lower side Green 138A-138B Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 147D Lower side Yellow-green 147D Size Small; length 3-5 cm, width 2-3 cm Quantity (number per lateral 25 branch) Shape Obovate Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Between Rounded Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Lateral Diverging Lobes Shape of Base Obtuse Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.8-1 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘Katelli’ ‘Mars’ Color upper surface Greyed-orange 163A to Yellow-orange 22B ray-florets Greyed-yellow 162A Start bloomig date Week 38 Week 41 (planted in week 24) 

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 